


Be More Chell: Adventures in Aperture

by Totebag



Series: This Was a Triumph [2]
Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz, Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz (Two River Cast) Actor RPF, Be More Chill - Ned Vizinni
Genre: Alternate Universe, One Shot Collection, Portal 2 AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-24 18:42:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22342615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Totebag/pseuds/Totebag
Summary: A bunch of one-shots recalling tales from before, during, and after the events of "Be More Chell". If you have not read it, I highly recommend doing so first. Spoilers and probable confusion ahead if you have not. You have been warned. Other than that, enjoy!
Relationships: Jeremy Heere & Michael Mell, Just a bunch of friendships y'all
Series: This Was a Triumph [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1608274
Kudos: 8





	1. The Christening

As a robot, CHRISTINE couldn’t exactly die in the way humans did; she could run out of power, but she was always well-charged; something could break, but it would always be quickly fixed. However, there was a time when she would say she was close to “dying”. It was an early November morning, and it was uncannily calm in Aperture. By then, there would usually be an explosion, disaster, or general mayhem to spice up the day. Without it, the day felt slow. Sure, she was stuck in her testing chamber when they happened, but she felt the scientists’ boredom and it simply wasn’t Aperture without a dash of discord once in a while. All day she had watched mechanics and scientists come in and out of the room, never paying her any mind. Their expressions were weary and blank, movements practiced and precise without so much of an attempt of conversation between them. Sometimes they would take a few files or boxes, sometimes they would be surveying the room with a clipboard and pen in hand, but mostly they were dismantling. All the machines and control panels that filled the dull room were gradually removed with nothing taking their place. She was tempted to ask what was going on, but the words never left the tip of her tongue. When it came to the employees, she learned quickly never to speak out of turn, give them what they expected. It was something she learned quickly after her attempt at showing them her acting capabilities.

The last few employees slowly bled out of the now-empty room, leaving her to her thoughts. For a while, she kept expecting someone to come, but they were empty expectations. Temptation gnawed at her to just leave while no one was looking, but her programming prevented her from acting upon her desire. Instead, she unplugged herself from the wall and started to recite some Shakespearean monologues to pass the time. Proudly, she bellowed the coveted words, but then she was back to being bored. Faintly from the hall, she heard the clacking of footsteps drawing near. Immediately, she assumed her default position just as a lone scientist entered the room and began surveying the room as many before him did, occasionally writing something down on a fairly used clipboard. After casting a sideways glance, a small sneer grew on his face as she was finally acknowledged. Like most of the people who came into her chamber, she did not recognize him, but he wore a persistent angry scowl that put her on edge. He walked closer to her, eyes honed and sharp as a blade despite the large bags under them.

“Hmm…” The man lazily hummed as he keenly observed her, occasionally moving around one of her limbs or head, “Surprised you’re still up. Must’ve forgotten about you while taking care of the other equipment. Makes me wonder what we’re paying them for.” He seemed to mainly talking to himself than her, which she found extremely rude, “You really are an archaic thing, aren’t you? Mechanisms are stiff and haven’t been properly maintained, but not unsalvageable.”

She cocked her head to the side, “Excuse me?” It was hard to mask her offense.

The scientist gave an annoyed sigh, “Project’s being shut down. Starting over, or something like that. Probably want to create something more useful than a basic learning AI, not that I blame them. Seems like they got all they needed from you. Actually, I take that back. They may use some of your parts for the new one.”

Suddenly her chest felt heavy, limbs weak and malleable as she stared up at her mortality. She really should’ve expected this, but she supposed a part of her hoped that they were moving her somewhere else—a childish hope in hindsight. Her life from the moment she was activated was not her own. It was the scientists’. It was only a matter of time, but this was so soon.

Slowly, CHRISTINE clutched her left forearm and held it close to her to protect the control panel underneath, “But I don’t want to be shut down.” She softly protested.

“Yeah, well, I don’t want to be here. Life’s tough all over.” The scientist retorted.

CHRISTINE slowly backed away from the man like a cornered animal, her code screaming at her to cease and desist, but she ignored it, even as the need to obey etched at her mind. She didn’t want this. Jeremy had taught her that she was more than all her protocols and expectations. It was funny. She didn’t expect the tiny being to become so important to her when he first snuck into her room 10 months ago, acting as if she were the most amazing thing in world with eyes bright and energy seemingly endless. Strangely enough, it was the memory of that day that strengthen her resolve:

_The hiss of the door unlocking dragged her attention upwards, but when the doors parted no one was there. Strange. However, after a moment a scruffy-looking child poked his head in and looked around for a moment entering. He stood in front of her, mouth agape and lapis eyes alight with awe and wonder. She looked at him curiously, but did not interact. Whoever he was, it was clear he should not be here as he was not listed in any of her employee data-banks._

_“Whoa…” He finally said, “I knew dad said you were finally done, but this is amazing!” Still CHRISTINE did not respond, which seemed to disappoint the child, “Hello?” He asked cautiously, obviously worried by her silence._

_Though she did not know this child, it would not hurt to talk to him, “Hello.” She curtly responded._

_The child sharply gasped in excitement, making CHRISTINE worried that she broke him, “You really do work!” He exclaimed, “Oh, right. I should probably introduce myself. My name’s Jeremy—well, technically it’s Jeremiah, but I don’t really like that name. What’s yours?”_

_“My name is Charismatic Human Robot Invented Solely to Test Invented Neural Emitters, but you may call me CHRISTINE.” She answered in a default tone._

_“I know I’m not supposed to be here, but I just had to see you.” Jeremy admitted._

_This confused CHRISTINE, “Why must you see me? It seems like you are putting yourself at risk to do so. It does not make sense.”_

_“Why wouldn’t I? You’re so cool! I mean just look at you!” He proclaimed with a toothy grin, which was a slight oxymoron since he was missing a few teeth. Despite the strange request, she obeyed, seeing nothing that would stir such an expressive reaction. Suddenly that excitement melted to horror, “You’re not going to tell them, are you?” By “them”, she presumed he meant the scientists, “Please don’t tell them. My dad will kill me if he finds out.” He pleaded._

_She felt conflicted. This should be reported to her moderators, but Jeremy’s actions were so innocent. She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to feign naivety on the matter if they were to ask, “I do not have to tell anyone if that is what you ask.” She reassured the distraught child._

_Instantly the spark in his eyes returned, “Really?” Before she knew it, she was being hugged, “Thank you, CHRISTINE! You really are the best! I’m going to visit you all the time, I promise.”_

_A foreign warmth budded in her chest as she was riddled speechless by the affection—happiness, she figured. Though a strange feeling, it felt…nice. For the first time in her short existence, she genuinely smiled as she slowly and awkwardly returned the hug ever gently._

_“You’re welcome…”_

Speaking of the devil, it was at that moment a small clang was heard, dragging both her and the scientist’s attention to the adjacent wall where the door to the vent closest to the ground fell open. There was nothing for a moment until an ever-small and scrawny Jeremy began to crawl out with some difficulty—a strangely adorable sight. Despite how often he did this, the eight-year-old lacked upper body strength, so it was taking him a while to get himself out of there, “CHRISSY, I know I’m late, but you wouldn’t believe what I saw!” However, that initial gravitas vanished once he pulled himself onto his feet and saw what was going on. His face fell, “W-what’s going on?”

CHIRSTINE was horrified. He shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t see this, “I’m fine, Jeremy. Really-” She wore a faux smile even though its manufactured nature betrayed her.

The scientist swiftly interrupted her, “You shouldn’t be here. Go!” He sharply ordered.

Jeremy looked taken aback by the scientist’s tone, but he stood his ground while mustering up the bravest face he could, “Leave CHRISSY alone.” He demanded as he ran between the two, trying his best to protect her.

“This doesn’t concern you.” The scientist warned, patience wearing ever thin, “She is scheduled to be shut down today, and I am going to make sure that happens!”

“What?” He squeaked, tears pricking his eyes like thorns while a distinct red began to burnish his skin.

It hurt CHRISTINE that he knew the truth. In an act of comfort, she rested a hand on his shoulder, “Jeremy. Please listen. I can handle this.” She falsely promised. Maybe it was greedy of her to lie to him, but she couldn’t stand to see him upset, especially when it would be one of her last memories of him. It was at that moment she realized her mistake. She had shown affection, attachment, something she shouldn’t be able to do. Sure, occasionally acting out was strange to the scientists, but this was different. It was easy to act apathetic towards the scientists, but she simply couldn’t with Jeremy. He was Jeremy.

“Get behind me.” The scientist instructed with a serious composure, grabbing Jeremy’s wrist and swinging the boy behind him protectively.

Despite the good intent, Jeremy didn’t appreciate the gesture as he desperately tried to pull himself free, his shoes sliding, squeaking, and sliding against the tiled floor, “Let me go!” He demanded, the situation doing nothing to calm him down. The futile struggle produced a fountain of tears as he heavily wept. Then, he stretched out his free arm towards her, “CHRISSY!” He cried.

Before she realized what she had done, her hand was around the hand that held Jeremy firmly in place, a point of no return.; however, she didn’t fear the repercussions of her actions. Her friend needed her, “I believe the proper response is to obey his request.” The was a smidgen of satisfaction rebuking the man in such a way.

She easily pried the scientist’s hand from Jeremy’s twig-like wrist, shooting the man a glare that rivaled Medusa. The moment Jeremy was free, he clung to her for dear life, tears quickly bled into her shirt as he sobbed his little heart out. CHRISTINE gently lifted the frail-hearted child into her arms and pet his tumbleweed hair in an attempt to calm him. Like a mother, she softly shushed him and held him closer to which he continued to mumble unintelligibly into her shoulder.

“Put him down!” The scientist swiftly ordered as if she were some kind of dog.

By then her code was screaming at her to just stop, but still she ignored it. Her sole objective in that moment was to calm Jeremy down, and she would. With no other option, she ran.

The world blurred around her as she sped through the facility, rushing through passing employees, stepping over any furniture in her way, and not stopping for a moment. She looked briefly at the bundle in her arms, chest aching at the sight. She didn’t know what to do now that she had gotten this far. Maybe his dad could calm him down. Still, that would mean they would have to make it to his office before the new spread, which, knowing Aperture, didn’t give her much time at all. She could already hear the clomping of boots behind her and calls for aid muffled by a somber distance. Luckily, she had a master key to the facility in her arms.

“It’s alright, Jeremy. You’re safe.” She reassured, “I’m going to take you to your dad, but I’m going to need you to help me, ok? Can you do that?”

She felt Jeremy nod into her shoulder, his heartfelt sobs had simmered down to a dull whimpering, but still he clung to her like a life line, a powerful trust woven in his tight grip. Immediately he began mumbling directions to her, which she followed without question. This quickly led her to one of the lower office areas, which was hard to navigate through with all the people around, but somehow she managed to weave herself around the innocent bystanders. She still had no idea how many people were chasing her by then, but it was safe to assume it was a lot. Just as she turned a corner, two heavier set men stood in front of the only other exit out of this office area. It quickly became clear she wouldn’t be able to simply plow through them the second the came into view, so she skidded to a complete stop and no doubt streaking the floor as a result. It was only then did they approach, the wires of electricity tangled at the top of their stun batons creating a sickening glow against the walls. With no other choice, she began to back up, even with the stomping of her pursuers drumming louder and louder. Then she felt a sharp tug on her jacket, and when she looked down at Jeremy, he was pointing to a hallway to her right.

“There.” He firmly instructed, his voice slightly hoarse from his strained throat.

She looked at the hall strangely for a moment. Her internal map dictated a series of dead ends in that direction, but she immediately brushed those thoughts aside as she rushed in. From there Jeremy kept feeding her instructions as she navigated the literal maze that was Aperture’s hallways, which led her to a dead-end. The walls were blank, metal, and unfinished, but several shapes and lines were deeply engraved in it—something long abandoned, no doubt. Jeremy made no comment as he gingerly pressed a small square cut into the adjacent wall, which caused a small number pad to pop out. Jeremy’s hand swiftly danced across the number pad as he inputted a series of numbers: 43985983479. The panel retracted and the wall hissed, metal against metal loudly screeched as the large gash in the wall parted, revealing a massive, rusted stairwell. Wasting no time, she ran through the doorway just as shuttered closed behind her with a sickening stutter. Though safe of those chasing her behind the sealed door, she had to make it to Mr. Heere’s office before he was notified of the situation.

After ascending several floors, she cautiously poked her head through the doorway, scanning the barren hallway for anyone that may be looking for her. From where she was, it was a straight shot to Mr. Heere’s office. Though she had gained significant distance from her pursuers, there was no such thing as being too cautious in a situation like this. Deciding the coast was clear, she slowly crept out of her hiding space before dashing the last leg of the journey. Hopes were rising when the polished tile under her feet transitioned to an autumn-red carpet. However, in her rush forgot to slow down and accidentally rammed the door open, which produced a cacophonous “BANG!” as it sharply hit the wall. Mr. Heere visibly jumped in his seat before turning to face the duo, hand clutching his heart.

“Slow down, slugger. I ain’t getting any younger, you know.” It was at that moment he realized who he was talking to. His eyes widened for a brief moment before his face fell to concern when he saw his clearly upset son, “What…what’s going on?”

CHRISTINE didn’t answer. Instead, she gingerly set Jeremy down, who immediately stumbled over to his dad and clung to his arm, “Please don’t let them shut her down. Please, dad. She’s my friend, a-and I know I wasn’t supposed to, but _please_ don’t let them.” His rhetoric was broken by desperate grasps, yet it didn’t take away from the passion he held.

Mr. Heere slowly pet his son’s hair, “Easy now, private. You gotta calm down ‘cus I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

CHRISTINE opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by the arrival of a very exhausted looking scientist, “Sir, there’s an emergency downstairs.” She took a deep breath, “The CHRISTINE unit, s-she went all haywire. She ran off. She took Jeremy. They tried to catch her, but they lost her and-“ It was then the young scientist noticed CHRISTINE next to her, “Gah!” She cried, stumbling back slightly.

CHRISTINE felt bad since the young scientist was clearly only a messenger. Not knowing how else to respond, she waved at her.

With a tired sigh, Mr. Heere dragged his microphone closer to the and spoke, “To those looking for the AI CHRISTINE, go back to your posts. The situation is under control. I repeat, the situation is under control.”

After the announcement was made, the young scientist teetered in her spot, visibly debating whether or not to leave, but then Mr. Heere turned to her and she immediately stood as straight as a line, “Stay.” Mr. Heere instructed, “I want someone else to witness this.” With that, he beckoned CHRISTINE closer.

CHRISTINE obeyed without hesitation, “Yes, sir?” She asked.

“Why did you bring Jeremy here?” Mr. Heere spoke low with a serious tone, almost as if he were anticipating something to happen.

“Sir, I highly advise against this-“ The young scientist attempted to interject, but Mr. Heere rose a hand to her and she immediately held her tongue.

“It’s obvious to me that something happened downstairs that made Jeremy upset. Everyone’s jumping to conclusions that she up and kidnapped Jeremy, but nobody’s asking _why_ it happened in the first place, so _I am_.” He lightly scolded the scientist, yet his gaze didn’t falter from the AI in front of him.

This was surprising to CHRISTINE, and maybe even a bit flattering. She wasn’t used to people other than Jeremy asking for her perspective, “Jeremy was upset, and as his friend I found it necessary to help him.” She answered simply.

Mr. Heere arched a brow at this, “Friend?”

If CHRISTINE was capable of blushing, she would be, “He’s been…visiting me while the scientists were gone, talking with me and taking to the park. He’s really sweet.”

The man glanced at his son in a contemplating manner, “Well, this would certainly explain all of the stories I heard about you: quoting Shakespeare, asking strange questions, and all that.”

Jeremy returned a wide smile as if that would get him out of trouble for compromising a few hundred thousand dollars experiment. To give him some credit, he was cute and very smart for using it to his advantage.

“As you probably know,” CHRISTINE continued, “I am scheduled to be deactivated today. Jeremy interfered, but when I tried to calm him down, the scientist viewed my actions as concerning and pulled him away. Then he began to cry to let go…crying for me to help…I had to protect him, get him out of there. This was the best place to bring him.”

When she finally said her peace, she stood tall (well, as tall as she could make herself). Even if the man disapproved of her actions, she had no shame and would accept her punishment with pride. However, it came as a surprise when Mr. Heere barked out a warm laugh.

“I like this one!” He declared, “She has a good head on her shoulders!”

“D-does this mean isn’t going to go away?” Jeremy cautiously asked.

Mr. Heere ruffled his son’s head roughly, “Of course not.” He pulled a couple sheets of paper in front of him and pointed his pen at the young scientist, “I want you to do something for me.” He said before beginning to write something down, “Tell the boys in charge of CHRISTINE the news; tell them she’ll be used to see how an AI develops independently of its creators. I also want you to go tell the people developing the new AI not to modify any code they took from CHRISTINE. I want him to be as smart as this one right here.”

“Sir, the new AI is a walking fire starter. Is this really such a good idea? If he acts out-“

The young scientist was quickly dismissed when Mr. Heere interrupted her, “Jeremy did a fine job with CHRISTINE, I’m sure he’ll do the same with the new one.”

“Really!?” Jeremy exclaimed, his voice sharply cracking in his excitement, “Can I visit JENNA too?” He was definitely trying to push his luck. Jeremy always said he always wanted to visit her, but couldn’t since she was always being supervised.

“You really are like your mother, you know that?” Jeremy gave a cheeky grin as his dad debated the idea in his head, “Alright, but only when she isn’t busy.”

“Yes!” Jeremy hugged his dad’s side as tight as he could, which…admittedly wasn’t saying much, “Thank you!”

Mr. Heere handed the young scientist one of the papers, and she left without a word to carry out her orders. CHRISTINE couldn’t see what was written on it, but she knew whatever it was was to be taken seriously. Usually JENNA was in charge of distributing messages to the different areas of the facility, so for it to be written and hand-delivered made it very important.

Just like that, it was only the three of them left, which gave her a few moments to contemplate her emotions towards these recent developments. She was elated, confused, and perhaps a bit scared. While she always wanted to be able to do as she pleased, she didn’t know what to do not that she had it. Jeremy would often ask her what she wanted to do whenever they hung out, but this…this was different.

Before she could ponder the matter further, Mr. Heere handed her the other sheet of paper, “Here. Just in case anyone gives you any trouble. Just don’t go wandering out of the facility, alright? “ He chuckled lightly, “This also means Jeremy can’t sneak you out whenever he wants. He’s going to need permission from now on. Right, Jeremy?”

“Yes, dad.” Jeremy responded in a monotone manner.

She took the paper and turned it so she could read it:

_November 16, 1975,_

_As of this date, it it to be declared that the AI personality CHRISTINE has been given access the Aperture facility as she sees fit. Any personal who attempts to shut this unit down will be fired immediately._

_Paul Heere_

She could feel her body shake and clack as she read it. She felt so happy, “I-I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’ve already done enough for me. I knew Jeremy seemed happier these last few months, and now I know why.” Just as he said that, Jeremy broke away and jumped into her arms, “Maybe now he’ll stay out of trouble.”

CHRISTINE laughed at that, “I don’t think that’s possible, sir.”

“Eh. You’re right.” Mr. Heere admittedly, “Now, I know you two want to go gallivanting off somewhere, but you might want to wait here for the heat to die down. In the meantime, I want to know how exactly Jeremy managed to get you past my security so easily.”

Just like that, CHRISTINE was given new life, new purpose. Though there would be some adjusting as she got used to her newly-gained independence, she knew she would figure it out. After all, she had Jeremy and, in time, other AI like her, so what could go wrong?


	2. The Bear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was inspired by this interaction I had with Lilium_Album23 in the comments for Chapter 29
> 
> Lilium_Album23: "I feel bad for Iba. Even though she's safe can't help but feel sad that she's gonna be left there alone."
> 
> Me: "I have heard your plight. As the almighty narrator, I deem it canon that in the deepest brinks of Aperture Labs, a teddy  
> bear materializes next to Iba to keep her company while our heroes go off on their quest. It wears a king's crown and is  
> scientifically the best teddy bear in the world. Iba is thrilled by her new friend and names him River."
> 
> This chapter was originally supposed to be comedic, but my hand slipped. I'll sketch out my initial idea for you guys later. And yes, this is still canon.

Trying to get Aperture back up and running had been…a process. For now, it was a lot of waiting while the computers ran their diagnostics. He should enjoy the calm, Jeremy thought as he drummed his fingers on the floor, but he was never one to sit around. There was stuff he could do, even without the computers’ help—like figuring out what he was going to do with the place, for one. Aperture was always a science facility, yet it has long since been retired. Jeremy concluded it should stay that way. There was too much bad history and the world moved on, progressing fine without them, yet that still left the question of what’s next? Jeremy rested his head on the arm he propped up on his knee. The question weighed on his mind. Doubt wracked his mind. He talked with his friends, except Michael, who was still resting after the fight, but, in the end, it was his decision. He threaded his hands in his hair and bellowed a groan to the ceiling.

Knowing he wouldn’t get anywhere stressing over it, he fished his notebook out of his pocket and opened it to a fresh, blank page. He starred at it while letting out a low hum and fiddling with his pencil, waiting for the creativity to flow. Nothing. Eventually, the pencil slipped through his fingers and pattered against the ground, yet Jeremy’s stare didn’t deter from the page. It had been easy to say he would take up the mantle and run this place, but it was different from actually doing it. Now, he didn’t have the scientists to help him, Erik to console, or his dad to ruffle his hair and tell him to chin up. His eyes and nose began to sting. This wasn’t the time to cry, or at least feel like crying. Everyone was counting on him, so he had to stay strong. That’s what leaders had to be, right? 

He’d already sent CHRISTINE and them to do some little things like clearing the plants, surveying the condition of some of the supports, stuff like that. It wasn’t much, but the tasks were a start, and that’s what was important. While he had almost complete control over the facility since, unlike the SQUIP, but he wasn’t a miracle worker. Moving a room? No problem. Monitoring and maintaining the nuclear reactor? Yeah, sure. Cleaning the cameras? Nope, too complex for him. He had to rely on the others for the small jobs unless he wanted to break a bunch of stuff. Being stuck in the room with a giant mechanism on his back didn’t help much either. Maybe if he brought the rooms to him, but that was too much of a hassle and it risked a domino effect if the supports were damaged or weakened, and destroying the facility even more wasn’t worth the risk. 

“Hey, Jeremy!” JAKE’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he scrambled back onto his feet. Turning around, he saw JAKE standing at the foot of the door while holding Iba up high.

“I’m flying,” Iba chirped.

JAKE and Jeremy shared a confused look, then a shrug. “Uh, sure you are, Iba.” JAKE patted her shell then walked over to Jeremy. “So, why did you need her again?”

“Well, I wasn’t just going to leave her down there all alone. I’m pretty sure Michael would kill me if I did,” Jeremy said.

“Fair enough. By the way,” JAKE dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out a teddy bear of all things, “is this yours? It was kinda just sitting next to her, so I thought you had something to do with it.” 

Jeremy pinched the bridge of his nose. “JAKE, I was stuck as a core for two days. Where would have I been hiding a teddy bear?”

JAKE shrugged. “Want me to just get rid of it?”

No!” Iba cried out. “Nonononono...” she wouldn’t stop saying ‘no’.

The sudden protest made JAKE almost drop her, and she began wriggling in his arm. “I’m just going to, uh, let you handle this.” Het set her down with the bear and backed out of the room.

After he left, she continued her little outburst. Jeremy knelt down, picked up the bear, and held it up so she can see. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. The bear’s right here.” He shook it a bit to emphasize his point.

Iba calmed down. “Riv…er,” she said.

Jeremy chuffed a laugh. “River? Is that what you named him?”

“River,” she repeated. 

He turned the bear towards him to examine it closer. The bear was a little small and wore a king’s crown and a red cape to complete its regal look. Its minky, cream fur was untarnished and untainted despite its age, which surprised Jeremy. Instead of a trademark smile, its mouth was stitched in a neutral, almost somber expression while its azure eyes stared into the distance. It was cute, even Jeremy had to admit that. He moved the bear side-to-side and watched Iba shuffle along with it. A smile crept on Jeremy’s face. Iba really lived up to her name, Jeremy mused. Different, distinct, alien, strange, unlike. He knew Michael named her because she said she was “different”, but it was still somehow fitting. Only Iba would befriend a random bear. Only Iba would be this weird.

The word “different” stuck in his head. It made him think of Aperture. Maybe he didn’t have to make this place into the way it was. Aperture was his now, and he could do with it as he wished. The thought brought him some comfort, it felt right. Aperture was always known for its potential, and now it was up to Jeremy to bring it out. However, his notebook remained abandoned nor did he attempt to reach for it and jot down his ideas. He needed to stop worrying, take things slow, figure it all out in time. After all, it was his father’s ambition that got him sick, and his and Erik’s ambition that turned them into…whatever they were. 

Time passed. He continued playing with Iba, or tried to. He hadn’t played like this since he was a kid, so he wasn't good at it. Kids have a wild creativity for made-up narratives, Jeremy did not. An innate chagrin that bloomed in his chest when they began. The voices he gave characters were terrible and scarcely different than his own, characters kept changing names as he struggled to remember them, and the plot holes were too numerous to count. It was childish in every sense of the word. Not that it mattered, Iba was still entertained. As they played, the facility became nonexistent. It was only him and Iba spinning a tale of King River seeking out this dragon that sowed terror throughout the land. He made a mental note to never mention this to Michael and the others; Jeremy didn’t think he could stand the teasing. This was a secret only he and Iba shared.


End file.
